


Sugar Coated

by glass_owl



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, ziam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 22:29:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glass_owl/pseuds/glass_owl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn adores Liam and his love for sweet things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugar Coated

**Author's Note:**

> Helloooooooooo.
> 
> Okay this one is a bit crappy. It was initially an unfinished piece of work and while i should be working on my EOM right now, i'm not. I'm writing a 1D fanfiction. Sigh "/ 
> 
> Anywaysssss, do enjoy. 
> 
> (PS. And do i have any tumblr readers? :) I need more ziam people to follow so if you could leave a note or something. :) I'm granite-fox on tumblr. Heh. :) )

Liam is sugar coated all over; not in the embarrassing sexual content but more of the fact that he’s just so sweet and cavity inducing. Zayn likes that about him – Liam is so sweet, and caring and nice and all the good compliments in a dictionary put together. He thinks it runs well with his bad boy persona, his gangster get up; the fact that ying and yang just go so well together. Not that Zayn is a bad person who goes around beating people up, he’s the kind of nice (fake) gangster who gives candies to the kids when he thinks no one’s looking. Liam catches him at it on more occasions then one, he finds it amusing.

 

-

Candy.

-

 

Liam's just his best friend. Or that's how it starts for them until Zayn starts to feel something more. It's back in preschool when they first meet. There's tea break, and Zayn, in all his excitement for his first day of school, had forgotten to bring his lunch pack. He's not exactly thrilled of the idea of his sister taking what was supposed to be his, off to school in his stead. He's hungry and alone before Liam sits with him and offers him candy. It's nothing much but it's food, and even better, it's sweet.

It starts from there. Their friendship. But in the course of their friendship, Zayn learns a lot of Liam; about Liam's sweet tooth and his dislike of math and chemistry and green onions. He also learns that there's nothing Liam loves more than chocolate.

 

-

Cake.

-

 

Zayn hates baking, and he hates it when the batter and flour gets in his hair. But he knows Liam has a sweet tooth, and he knows Liam loves chocolate. So when Liam’s birthday comes round, Zayn finds himself holed up in his kitchen with his best mate Louis (Zayn wouldn’t call anyone buddy – ‘buddy’ is too chummy and totally un-cool). They both look comical with mother hen aprons tied round their teenage waists, and it’s only after a while that Zayn realizes that Louis has the cook book upside down.

They don’t waste much time being serious though, because there’s flying flour, spilled milk and cracked eggs all over the kitchen in minutes. Zayn’s not even sure how that happened. He vaguely remembers some kind of food fight, but he’s pretty sure it’s just his imagination, he’s too mature for food fights.

When Liam calls unexpectedly, Louis answers the phone.

Zayn is mortified beyond words when Louis lets slip about the cake. He smacks Louis upside the back of his head once for stupidity, and then a second time for good measure. He makes sure he calls Louis ‘imbecile’ and ‘twat’ while he’s at it, and there’s no denying the tiny ounce of pride when he hears Louis call out uncle. 

It’s over exaggerated, but when Liam’s laughs are heard through the receiver, Zayn thinks the heavens have just blessed him – because nothing sounds sweeter than a genuine Liam Laugh, especially not the cake that he just popped into the oven.

 

-

Cookie.

-

 

Liam is healthy, and his health conscious antics creep up on Zayn all the time. When Zayn’s not looking, Liam peels the skin off Zayn’s chicken with a spare fork. Or sometimes he brings extra lettuce to school to slip into Zayn’s chicken sandwich. It used to be an issue between the two, the impossible amount of calories Zayn manages to pack into a premade lunch – or so Liam claims. Zayn can’t believe Liam sometimes, but it’s as if Liam has the whole calorie chart memorized up in his head in place of chemistry and physics.

Somewhere through high school, Zayn just fell for the little health conscious bugger. He’s never met someone as concerned for his health than the boy who nabs his ham and cheese toasts when he feels like it. 

It took a while to get accustomed to the feeling, to know that he’s so utterly in love with the puppy cute boy with mused up russet brown hair and deploring brown eyes that look like chocolate chips to a certain extent – Zayn doesn’t even know where his food analogy has sprung up from but he remembers that Liam likes chocolate anyway.

It almost becomes adorable to watch Liam sneak a lettuce into his sandwich from the corner of his eye, or when Liam tells him (voice leaden with exasperation and petulance) off for drinking coke instead of organic carrot juice.

When Zayn decides to play a trick on Liam one day, he brings butter cookies to school instead of the usual chicken sandwich. He notices the slight frown on Liam’s face when he says ‘oh’ and stows away the extra container of lettuce. And then Liam nicks a cookie as if it was meant for him in the first place.

“Hey!” Zayn says, he feigns anger because he can't really stay mad at Liam plus, he wouldn’t hurt Liam for anything.

“They’re good,” Liam replies, “very sweet.” 

Liam is completely nonchalant, bagging all the guilt he's supposed to feel with ease. He finishes the cookie before he takes another one.

Zayn has to resist from pinching Liam's cheeks, because. Just because.

 

-

Liquorice.

-

 

Liquorice isn't exactly sweet, but Liam says they're a special kind of candy. Zayn can't stomach liquorice, it's thick with a kind of fuming taste that just kills his taste buds. The last time he had one, the bitterness lingered on his tongue, and his tongue was numb with the sordid taste (it was just so 'eew', he never talked about it).

Liam, of course, defies all logic. He loves liquorice. So when there's a sale, out at the Marks and Spencers, Liam' s the first one to buy a few bags. And out of the goodness of his heart, Liam shoves a bag into Zayn's hands.

"No, Li. I really shouldn't, you paid for it," Zayn says, trying to get away from the bag of liquorices. He tries to think of ways to turn Liam down, but instead his brain runs through a million ways on how to say no to drugs. It's kind of depressing really, Zayn thinks that schools should include a 'how to say no to liquorice' program as part of the Moral Education classes. 

"Did you know that in Finland they have a kind of liquorice called Salmiakki, and they use ammonium chloride in it or something?" Zayn tries. 

Liam stops mid motion and quirks an eyebrow. "Ammonium chloride?"

"You know, ammonia?"

Liam rolls his eyes. "I failed chemistry, you douche."

After several rounds of pathetic arguments that really couldn't count for anything more than petty one-sided disagreements, Zayn gives in. He's standing at the bus stop, waiting for his bus to come, one hand clutching a bag of liquorice and he really doesn't know what to do with it. It occurs to him that he could just give it away, but it's from Liam. And that just makes the situation all the more harder, more difficult to deal with, because there's no way he's giving away something Liam gives him. 

It hits him, how besotted he's become, pining after Liam. But he can't stifle that smile, or the blush that slowly creeps up his neck at the very thought of the boy.

The bag of liquorice stays in his fridge unopened for ten months before his mother throws it out (It was expired, dear.) and Zayn's left with a kind of anguish.

 

-

Fruit Punch.

-

 

Zayn's face is just red when he asks Liam to prom. He remembers the humour and light that dances in Liam's eyes as Zayn mushes his sentences together in one slurred motion. Zayn is light headed with joy when Liam agrees, he's not sure if Liam thinks it's just a joke though. 

Liam doesn't.

Prom night is dazzling, with bright streamers and flashing dance lights that paint the walls with vibrant colours of pink and blue and yellow. There are garlands strung across the walls, tables set for two, for five, for ten. Everything is nice, though not as nice as Liam. 

They spend the evening together, discussing all sorts of things that comes to mind. They cover extensive ground from batman to grapefruits. It takes a while, but their conversation peters out eventually, and Zayn finds himself on Twitter instead of talking to Liam. 

He peers over his phone to find Liam smiling waywardly at a couple dancing by on the dance floor, a twinkle of warm happiness that glows in his kind eyes.

It takes a while for Zayn to realise that Liam is watching Louis and his partner, Harry, waltz across the dance floor. Eyes locked, arms around waists and hands intertwined together. Zayn swallows, because he's not sure whether it's a signal he should be reading or if he's just looking too much into things.

"Hey Zayn-" Liam only reaches mid sentence before Zayn cuts him.

"Fruit punch? It looks good." Zayn blabbers. There's something in the way that Liam had called him, a kind of gentleness that sends shivers down his spine. His voice had been soft, loving. And Zayn is so sure he'd be asked to a dance, and no, he's not ready for that. Nope, nope, _nope_. 

He leaves Liam almost immediately, but still manages to catch the small flash of hurt and disappointment reflect from the depths of Liam's eyes. Zayn feels the guilt, but focuses on the fruit punch anyway.

When he comes back, Liam is smiling. He accepts his cup with much grace and takes a first sip.

"Sweet," he says. And Zayn can't help the lurch in his heart when he hears Liam not acknowledging the sugary fruit punch with his usual gusto and penchant for sweet things. 

 

-

Chocolate

-

 

He's not sure what changed after prom night, but suddenly they're slightly more distant, disconnected. Liam is sluggish at times and it scares him because no, his Liam is happy, and enthusiastic and full of energy. 

Liam keeps his headphones plugged in most of the time, music throbbing through the sound system. And Zayn just wants to talk to him, hug him, cuddle him. He doesn't know how to make up with Liam, because first off, he's not even sure what happened.

Zayn buys chocolate.

If anything could reach Liam, it's going to be chocolate. Because there's nothing Liam loves more than a good chocolate bar, preferably one with raisins. They were a special weakness of Liam's and Zayn knows Liam can't resist.

So Zayn trudges up to Liam's house one evening. He's got a hoodie pulled on with his favourite pair of faded denim jeans and black converse sneakers - a matching pair to Liam's red ones. There's a chocolate bar with raisins in his front pocket, and he just wants to see Liam. 

Liam's mother is warm and happy. She invites Zayn into the house almost immediately, no question asked. She directs Zayn to Liam's room before she resumes cooking and invites him to stay for dinner. Zayn declines, in case things don't turn out well with Liam.

He finds Liam sitting at his desk, headphones plugged in (again) and math homework splayed out on the table. Liam's not really doing any work though, because Zayn sees doodles of stickmans and batman all over the graph papers and lined papers. Zayn gets Liam's attention with the chocolate bar. The effect is instantaneous.

"What are you doing here?" Liam says, almost disapproving. And that hurts, because Liam never disapproves of him. 

"Just stopped by to say I'm sorry," Zayn says. For what though, he's not really sure.

"What for?" Liam asks, and Zayn is stumped - he really doesn't know. He wish he did (he also wished Liam hadn't asked), but he knows he doesn't.

"Dunno. You tell me."

"I don't know either, Zayn. I'm not even mad."

There's a silence that encapsulates them both. It's kind of awkward between the two of them and Zayn hates it because it has never, ever, _ever_ been awkward between them. He takes a deep breath.

"Well, maybe you could tell me what changed between us. Ever since then..." Zayn trails off quietly, fiddling with his thumbs and biting his lower lip. 

He's taken by surprise when Liam hurls the chocolate bar at his head. Zayn's not sure if chocolate is supposed to be that hard, but Jesus Christ, that hurt. He absently rubs at the mark on his forehead, and prays that he'd escape a bruise. Not that chocolate is hard enough to bruise, but it sure felt like it could. The next thing that takes Zayn by surprise, is Liam's next words.

The words are shaky but unmistakably there - clear and to the point.

"Because Zayn," Liam breathes quietly," I love you more than chocolate, and that says a lot. You're stuck in my head all the time, with your goofy smile and your gelled up hair. It's like poison. And when you asked me out to prom, I was just so, _so_ happy."

Zayn's body moves before his mind begins to think. He pulls Liam out of his seat, brings him in close and snakes an arm around Liam's waist before he goes in for a kiss. It's quite the failure for a first kiss, their noses bump and their teeth clash painfully. But it's okay, because it's special. And Zayn is kissing someone he truly loves. Liam tastes like cinnamon and sugary sweetness (he's quite sure it's all his imagination but hey) and Zayn is just so in love.

When they part for air, Zayn finally asks, "Can i stay for dinner?"

"You're an idiot," Liam hums. He gently tweaks Zayn's nose and smiles affectionately. 

-

It started with a piece of candy, continued with a confectionery kiss and the rest is still unwritten. But Zayn's in no rush, he's quite sure the future is bright and maybe sugar coated at that.


End file.
